The present invention generally relates to databases and more specifically to apparatus and methods for diagnosing performance problems in a database.
Enterprise databases continue to grow in size and number resulting in increased systems management and administrative complexity. As the size and complexity of database systems increase, the likelihood that performance problems may result also increases.
Diagnosing performance problems in a database is a very involved task that requires knowledge of a variety of different metrics and statistics. Typically, the statistics available to a database administrator are inadequate and the administrator may not be able to correctly diagnose the problem. Further, a great deal of expertise is required to correlate and interpret these statistics and arrive at a reasonable solution. Even if a database administrator can diagnose the problem, the administrator may spend many hours trying to determine a solution. Accordingly, a single database administrator cannot supervise a large number of databases. Moreover, even if a database administrator determines a solution, there is no guarantee that the solution is correct or that another database administrator would have reached the same conclusion. Thus, there is no standardization for diagnosing performance problems.